Transportation system



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. GROSVBNOR. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

No. 606,284. Patented Junel28,1898.

(No Model.)

` 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. GRO-SVE-NGR. TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

No. 606,284. Patented June 28,1898.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

W. GROSVENOR. TRANSPURTATION SYSTEM.

180.606.284. l Patented June 28, 1898.

lr v

(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheer, 4.

W.. GROSVENOR. TRANSPORTATION'SYSTBM.

No. 606,284. Patented June 28,1898.

nWALLACE GROSYENOR, OF OASSELTON, NORTH DAKOTA.

TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,284, dated June 2s, 189s.

Application tiled September 17, 1897. Serial No. 652,027- (NO modell) T0 @ZZ whom t may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, WALLACE GRosvENoR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Casselton, in the county of Cass and State of North Dakota, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Transportation Systems; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved transportation system especially adapted for transporting logs. This system was especially designed and is especially adapted to meet the conditions of heavy-timbered country, such as is found on the Pacific coast. For this class of work it is essential to the practical success of the system that the railway or track be such that it may be quickly and cheaply laid over the rough and unbroken surface of the ground.

To the ends above noted my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

My invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.-

Figure lis a view in side elevation, showingV a portion of my improvedrailway and showing the engine or motor with a train" of logs and log-carriages attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, with some parts broken away, showing a section of the track-rails and brackets for supporting the same to the overhead supports. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on the line X3 X3 of Fig. l. Fig. l is a side elevation,with some parts removed and others broken away, showing the engine or motor and a short section of the supporting-rails. Fig. 5 is a hori- Zontal section through the engine or motor, substantially on the line X5 X5 of Fig. 4t; and Fig. Gis adetail view in side elevation, with some parts broken away and others removed, showing the top portion of the car and a short section of the supporting-rails.

o. represents the rails, which are preferably of steel fangle-iron bars, secured to overhead supports in parallel arrangement.' The said rails c are bolted fast to the lower ends of bracketirons o', with their inner surfaces abutting against said bracketdrons a', with their lower flanges turned inward, and with their upper flanges turned outward. The said bracketeirons a face each other and are bent outward a short distance above their lower ends, so as to embrace a spacing-block a2. i Bolts a3 extend through the rails o, bracket-irons ct', and the spacing-block CL2, and thereby serve to rigidly connect all of said parts together. At their upper ends the bracket-irons a are turned outwardV to form horizontal feet or sections a4. The feet a4 of the bracketsd are rigidly secured to horizontal overhead supports a5 by means of nutted bolts a?. The overhead supports or timbers rest upon and are rigidly secured to upright timbers or projecting piles a7, which rise from the ground and have their lower ends firmly embedded therein. The uprights d'7 are suitably spaced apart crosswise of the roadway, and the overhead cross-ties d5 are of the proper length to afford sufficient clearance for the engine or motor, to be hereinafter described.

The partsyj ust described constitute the track-support or roadway. The parts and a7 may be made from rough timbers, which are usually availablealong the line ofv road. -The piles or supports dmust ofcourse in all cases project from the groundto suchan altitude as to give clearance between the bottoni of the suspended engine or motor and the ground. Theymay, however, be of much greater length than required for this purpose,y

so as to keep the track as nearly on a level as may be possible or to give the track a gradual incline. Secured to the inturned lower. flanges of the rails ct and running the entire length of the roadway is a wide-faced rack h. As shown, this rack b is of shelllike form, or, in other words, is formed by a corrugated strip of metal, which is secured to said bottom ilanges of the rails d by means of rivets b.

0n the elevated track just described are mounted suitable trucks, which are connected together by suitable rods or connections and are coupled to and drawnv by a locomotive or motor suspended by and running on the trackrails. Thesetrucks are all of substantially the same constructionand a pairof thesame are employed to support' each log of the train.

IOO

The said trucks are each provided with four flanged wheels f, with the two members on the same side traveling on the same upper flanges of the rails a. The said truck-wheels fare mounted on stub-axles f', fixed to and projecting inward from the four corners of the side frames f2 of the trucks. These side frames f2 are substantially of inverted- U shape, and the lower extremities of theirlegs or prongs embrace and are secured to body portions f3. With this construction and mounting of the truck the wheels f traverse the rails a with a central clearance for passing the brackets ce. The said frames f2 embrace the truck, and the body portion f3 is supported by said frames directly below the track. A suitable supporting-chain f4 is carried by and suspended from each truck. One end ofthe chain f4 is rigidly secured to said truck, while the other end of the same is detachably'connected thereto by a suitable grip f5. The logs .e are suspended or carried each by a pair of the said trucks and a pair of said supporting-chains f4, as best shown in Fig. l. The different trucks which make up the frame are connected together by means of a flexible connection f6, which is adjustably secured to said trucks by means of suitable grips f7.

The construction of the engine or locomotive which is used to draw the train will now be described.

The truck which suspends the locomotive or engine from the overhead rails involves four hanged truck-wheels g, which are mounted on trunnions g', that project inward from vertically-depending inverted-U-shaped frames g2. This truck g g' g2 is very similar in construction to the truckff2f3, but is, of course, much larger in all respects and much stronger. To the lower ends of the arms or prongs of the frames g2 a lower platform g3 is rigidly secured. This platform g3 constitutes the bottom of the locomotive-cab. The frames g2` are bent out laterally on the opposite sides of the truck and then are turned downward "over the sides of the cab and are secured to the bottoms of the same. As shown, a pair of parallel vertical supports g4 are secured at their upper ends, one to the central portion of each U shaped frame g2, and at their lower ends are secured to the platform g3. A short distance below the rails a and rack h a locomotive-truck is also provided, with a pair of parallel longitudinal draw bars or plates g5, which are secured at their central portions to the vertical supports g4 and at their ends to the U-shaped frames g2. tion gives a Very rigid frame for supporting and carrying the boilers and propelling engine or engines or other motive-power device. This locomotive-truck frame carries the cab 96, which is built up from the platform g3, with its roof terminated a considerable distance below the line of the rails a. The cab Q6 is a great deal wider than the truck which carries the same, but is of such dimensions This constructhat it will pass with ample clearance between the pilesvor supporting-timbers al and above the surface of the ground.

A pair of coupler-heads g" are securably bolted or otherwise secured between the depending arms of the U-shaped frames g2 and between the ends of the draw bars or plates g5. The head member of the log-carrying trucks ff' f2 is provided with a coupler-head f8, which is similar in construction to the couplers Q7 on the engine-truck. The coup- 1ers f8 and g7 are adapted to be coupled together in the ordinary manner by a link h and pins h'.

c indicates a pair of boilers located one on each side of the engine-ti'iicl ,wi1',hin the cab gG. As shown, these boilers 7c are both connected to a stack 7a', which extends through the top of the cab and terminates below the line of the cross-supports Va5 of the fixed structure. A pair of upright engines are secured within the cab, one on each side of the same. As shown, these engines comprise each a cylinder p, piston p, cross-head p2, cross-head guide p3, steam-chest p4, and link or rod p". The cylinder p and cross-head guide p3 are shown as rigidly secured to the intermediate vertical support or beaml g4, which stands on that side of the truck. The steam-chests are in communication one with each of the boilers k through steam-pipes p6. The engine and boiler just described may of course be of any suitable construction. The upper ends of the links or rods p5 are connected by pins t to crank-disks t', both of which crank-disks are rigidly secured -to the projecting ends of a short counter shaft t2. This shaft t2 is mounted in suitable bearings t3, secured on the inner surfaces of the vertical `tie-bars g4, and projects through suitable passages formed in said bars g4. At its central portion the shaft t2 is provided with a small spurwheel t4.

t5 indicates a pair of large spur-wheels, which, as shown, are secured on short shafts or spindles t, mounted in bearings t7, rigidly secured to the draft-bars g5. These gears t5 are both in mesh with the small spur-gear t4 and with the continuous rack h, which eX- tends along the roadway beneath the rails a. Hence it is obvious that when the engine is thrown linto action, so as to cause the spurwheels t4 and t5 to revolve, the cab or motor will be caused to travel in one direction or the other, according to which way the engines are run.

The locomotive-truck wheels g are subject to the action of brake-shoes r, secured on the outer ends of plungers fr", mounted in keepers r2, secured on the horizontal portions of the U-shaped frames g2. The inner ends of the plungers r are connected by a toggle-lever r3. The toggle-lever r3 is operated by a vertical plunger-rod r4, connected thereto and extending downward and into the cab. An operating-lever T5, pivoted Within the cab and connected to the lower end of said plunger IOO IlO

r4, serves to move the toggle-lever r3 toward its dead-center to apply the brakes. The toggie-lever r3 is, however, normally held in its buckled position, as illustrated in Fig. 6, by means of a spring fr, coiled on the plunger' r4 and compressed between the head of said plunger and a guide-lock T7, fixed on one of the frames g2. As is obvious, when the brakeshoes are set against the truck-Wheels g the motor or cab will be frictionally looked to the rails a.

The forward end of the flexible connection fG is preferably extended to a considerable length and is wound upon a reel fw, mounted in a bracket w', secured to the motor truck or cab frame, within the cab. This reel is preferably provided with a hand-clamp 102, by means of which the reel may be operated to wind up or let out the cable f6, as may be necessary to make up a longer or shorter train.

As stated in the introduction to this case,

. this transportation system was especially designed to meet the conditions and requirements of a quickly and cheaply constructed road for transporting logs over rough timbered country. On the heavily-timbered and mountainous western coast of this continent a road of this kind must be laid with very steep grades. Hence an ordinary traction locomotive or engine would be inadequate as a propelling power in a system adapted to climb mountainous inclines, for example. It

is, however, thought to be perfectly obvious.

that the rack and spur-wheels, in virtue of their positive or non-slipping engagement, adapt the locomotive to climb up the steepest grades Without danger. The roadway and overhead supports may be quickly laid over rough and irregular ground at a small cost in comparison with the cost of systems employing ground-bedded tracks.

It will be understood, of course, that various alterations in the specific details of construction above set forth may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

l. In a transportation system, the combination with overhead supports of a pair of rails secured to said supports, an extended rack secured to said rails, a truck constructed to straddle said rails and provided with a pair of wheels engaging each rail, a cab or support suspended from and carried by said truck, a pair of gear-wheels mounted on said truck and engaging said rack, an intermediate fgear engaging both of said gear-Wheels,cranks tion with overhead supports and a rail or railsv supported thereby, of a train made np of trucks mounted on and suspended from said rails, and a flexible connection connecting the several trucks, and a reel carried by the motor member of said trucks, on which said cable or flexible connection is Wound, substantially as described.

3. In a transportation system, the combination with overhead supports, and a rail or rails supported thereby, of a motor-truck mounted on said rail or rails, a cab or support suspended and carried by said truck, and a brake involving brake-shoes engaging the advance and rear wheels of said truck and connected by a toggle-lever, a lever for operating said toggle, and a spring acting on said toggle and normally holding said shoes in inopera tive positions, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE GROSVENOR. Witnesses:

S. A. MOORE, N. B. FITCH. 

